Green Party Slams Democrats for Weakening State Climate Law

The Green Party of New York says that the Democrats at the state Capitol need to strengthen, not weaken, the state's climate law as global warming and extreme weather continue to accelerate. The party also faulted the Democrats for their total lack of transparency in their negotiations, with the Governor undemocratically manipulating the budget process.

"The Democrats rightly criticize Trump and his GOP followers for openly denying climate change and promoting the fossil fuel industry. But in many ways, the Democrats are more reprehensible since they refuse to take essential actions even when they claim to understand the existential crisis we are facing. Hochul increasingly mirrors Trump with her support for an All of the Above energy approach while promoting false information to justify her actions," said Gloria Mattera, GPNY co-chair.

Climate advocates report that legislative leaders have agreed to weaken the state's climate law at Governor Hochul's request. This includes pushing back to the end of 2028 the already missed deadlines to adopt regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ignoring the reality that the most damaging impact from methane emissions from gas come during the first 20 years. Lawmakers are once again allowing Hochul to provide only a fraction of the $10 billion that her administration had determined was needed for the transition to clean renewable energy. They have also apparently agreed to Hochul's effort to not only push back target dates for emission reductions but to make it aspirational rather than mandatory.

"While Hochul argues that the world has changed since the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) was enacted, the real change is that global warming is happening faster than was predicted. The arguments that Hochul advances for her inaction are the same that were debated when the law was passed - a law that was much weaker than the bill the Green Party advocated for. And the law was passed when Trump was President, highlighting the need for state action to counteract his pro-fossil fuel agenda," said Cassandra Lems, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States and member of the GPNY Executive Committee.

With renewable energy increasingly much cheaper than fossil fuels, Hochul's action will contribute to increasing utility bills along with the price shock and gouging from Trump's war on Iran. Hochul's support for a $33 billion expanded subsidy for existing nuclear power plants and as much as $100 billion for incredibly expensive and environmentally damaging new nuclear power will further drive up bills. The Green Party opposes nuclear power.

The Green Party has long advocated for a carbon tax and dividend to make polluters pay. A robust rebate is also needed to offset the regressive nature of an energy tax. The party said that enacting a carbon tax by the end of 2026 should be part of the deal .